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Ivorwen

Parents: ancestor: Isildur, 1st High King of Arnor and Gondorfather: Gilbarad (HoME only)

Spouse:Dírhael

Children:Gilraen

Description:

Ivorwen of the Northern Dúnedain is the wife of Dírhael, the mother of Gilraen, and thus the grandmother of Aragorn II, 1st King of the Reunited Kingdom:

In the latter days of the last age... before the War of the Ring, there was a man named [Dírhael 1], and his wife was [Ivorwen 1] daughter of Gilbarad, and they dwelt in a hidden fastness 2 in the wilds of Eriador; for they were of the ancient people of the Dúnedain, that of old were kings of men, but were now fallen on darkened days. [Dírhael] and his wife were of high lineage, being of the blood of Isildur though not of the right line of the Heirs. They were both foresighted in many things. Their daughter was [Gilraen 1], a fair maid, fearless and strong as were all the women of that kin.

The Peoples of Middle-Earth, HoME Vol 12, Part 1, Ch 9, The Making of Appendix A: The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen

[Arador's] son Arathorn sought in marriage Gilraen the Fair, daughter of Dírhael, who was himself a descendant of Aranarth. To this marriage Dírhael was opposed; for Gilraen was young and had not reached the age at which the women of the Dúnedain were accustomed to marry.

"Moreover," he said, "Arathorn is a stern man of full age, and will be chieftain sooner than men looked for; yet my heart forebodes that he will be shortlived."

But Ivorwen, his wife, who was also foresighted, answered: "The more need of haste! The days are darkening before the storm, and great things are to come. If these two wed now, hope may be born for our people; but if they delay, it will not come while this age lasts."

And it happened that when Arathorn and Gilraen had been married only one year, Arador... was slain; and Arathorn became Chieftain of the Dúnedain. The next year Gilraen bore him a son, and he was called Aragorn.

The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen

Preserved with other difficult and disjointed notes, [a brief but remarkable text... [from] Marquette] is very roughly written on a slip of paper torn from a rejected manuscript. That manuscript can be identified as the close predecessor of the Appendix A text.... The writing on the verso reads:

and his father gave him the name Aragorn, a name used in the House of the Chieftains. But Ivorwen at his naming stood by, and said 'Kingly Valour' (for so that name is interpreted): 'that he shall have, but I see on his breast a green stone, and from that his true name shall come and his chief renown: for he shall be a healer and a renewer.'

Above this is written: 'and they did not know what she meant, for there was no green stone to be seen by other eyes' (followed by illegible words); and beneath it: 'for the green Elfstone was given to him by Galadriel'. A large X is also written, but it is not clear whether this relates to the whole page or only to a part of it.

1This text is from one of Tolkien's early drafts. For the sake of clarity, earlier versions of proper names used by Tolkien in this draft have been replaced with the versions in use in the canon sources. All substitutions are marked with brackets.

2Michael Martinez, a well-known Middle-earth scholar, has suggested that the "hidden fastnesses" occupied by the Dúnedain of the North were most likely situated in the Angle, the relatively isolated region bounded by the Mitheithel (Hoarwell) and Bruinen (Loudwater) rivers, with the Misty Mountains on the east.